


Karaoke Interlude

by havocthecat



Category: Angel: the Series, Veronica Mars - Fandom
Genre: Episode: Clash of the Titans, Gen, Karaoke, Post: s05e22 Not Fade Away, Prophecy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-01-18
Updated: 2005-01-18
Packaged: 2017-11-05 03:00:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/401721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havocthecat/pseuds/havocthecat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After 'Not Fade Away,' Lorne goes off to do his own work for the Powers That Be - and ends up in Neptune, CA.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Karaoke Interlude

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here on LJ](http://havocthecat.livejournal.com/137571.html?style=mine).

Veronica slammed the door of the bathroom behind her and leaned against the wall. "Damn it," she whispered. She _was_ going to find the Tritons, and she was _defininitely_ going to get this lawsuit cleared up. She and her dad couldn't afford fees for even a minimally competent attorney.

"Honey, you have a great future ahead of you," said a green-skinned man with...horns? Horns?

Veronica looked curiously at him. "Unless I managed to miss the calendar reset, Halloween was a few months ago."

"Oh, don't worry about the demonic visage, sweetcheeks," he said. Maybe he was trying to hit on her? Hey, maybe he was about to tell her she could make it big in the music industry. The latter would be preferable for the moneymaking possibilities, though unrealistic. "Just seeing how the general populace reacts to the look, that's all."

"Trust me, it's a real experience," said Veronica, looking him up and down. "Where'd you get the red contacts?" Most specialty stores didn't sell ones that looked quite so realistic.

"Not that I haven't enjoyed our little tete-a-tete," said the--she wasn't entirely sure the word "man" applied here, but what else could he be? "But you've got an aura that's just begging me to read it."

"An aura?" Veronica gave him her best "I don't believe you, you lousy 09er" look. "You read auras? And you want to read mine?"

"After a smokin' hot performance like that, blondie?" he asked, gulping down what looked like a fairly alcoholic drink. " _Way_ better than ninety percent of what I normally hear, especially the guy who sang before you. Ouch! And a tormented soul to match the voice he was tormenting me with."

Veronica pursed her lips. "Just because Duncan likes to sing doesn't mean he's good at it." And as his ex-girlfriend, who knew that better than she did?

"Never mind Poor Little Rich Boy, honey bun," he said. What was up with the nicknames? He had a different one every ten seconds. "I'm Lorne." He reached into the pocket of what was actually a very nice double-breasted suit in a very bright shade of purple and handed her a business card. With his skin and that suit, she'd been about to start calling him The Joker. "Have a card."

It was simple, on a cream-colored cardstock that had to be expensive--Celeste Kane used the same kind for the business cards she handed out around town. The font was a simple script, and the first line was his name. The second line used to read "Wolfram & Hart," but that was crossed out and replaced with "Entertainer-At-Large." The third line was smaller font, and said "Auras Read, Futures Told, and Lost Souls Saved*." There was a phone number below it, and the asterisk referred to the last line, which was in some ungodly-small font, and said "on a limited basis."

"Pretty," said Veronica. She looked back up at Lorne. "But--Wolfram & Hart? I've heard those guys are bad news. We don't take cases where their name even comes up."

"Then it's a good thing I'm no longer with them, isn't it?" asked Lorne, a little angrily. He took a drink and Veronica noticed him trying to get himself under control. "Look, Miss Skeptical, do you want to hear what I have to say or not?"

Oh, this had to be good. What kind of Triton-inspired joke was this guy pulling on her? Veronica crossed her arms. "All right, Lorne, lay it on me."

"You really are the tough one, aren't you, chickie?" Veronica just gave him the look she usually saved for when Logan was being a worse jackass than usual. Lorne wasn't intimidated. He just shook his head at her. "Doesn't matter. Sure, you've had to be tough, sure, things haven't been going your way, but don't worry. Things are looking up."

Veronica snorted. "Yeah, because my life has been swell up 'til now. What makes you think it's going to get better?"

"Wish I could tell you, pumpkin, but the Powers That Be don't give me a road map to anyone's happy ending. They just hand me an arrow and I point you in the right direction." He drained his drink and put it down. "Not that you need much of a hint, but I guess they thought you might want some reassurance. Keep investigating your friend's death. You're on the right track. Just be careful--don't play games with your chief suspect. He's a dangerous man."

"Who _are_ you, Lorne?" asked Veronica, her eyes wide. "And how did you find out all of this about me?" This was seriously freaky, freakier even than--

"Oh, and that _is_ the ghost of your dead friend," said Lorne. "But don't worry, she's not just haunting you."

Veronica took a step back. "Look, whoever--whatever's going on here--"

"You, Veronica, you find your buddies the Tritons yet?" Wallace came up behind her and slapped her on the back.

"No," said Veronica, staring at Lorne. "It was all a trick."

"Who's the freaky-looking dude?" asked Wallace.

"Never _you_ mind," Lorne said to Wallace. He looked over at Veronica. "You remember what I said, sugarplum. Be careful." He turned around and walked out through the crowd. No one paid any attention to him. In fact, they acted like he didn't even exist.

"Seriously," said Wallace. "Who was that freaky dude, anyway?"

"Wish I knew," said Veronica. She slipped his card into her pocket without looking at it again. She shook her head. "Come on. Let's get back to the school. I want to see if I can track anything else down about the Tritons."

\--end--


End file.
